Small camera drones on Kickstarter and Indiegogo – how many of those have we seen already? Remember the Lily Camera drone that we reported about? It doesn’t seem to be shipping yet, and there seem to be some problems with it with another “fake” campaign claiming to sell their drone too, and according to this report they are under review by the “Indiegogo Trust and Safety Team”. Not very reassuring, to say the least.
So, we have honestly become more cautious with crowd funding campaigns in general and drone crowd funding campaigns specifically – there are just a lot of things that seem to go wrong, and a lot of products that never see the light of day, even after being successfully funded.
Now, the drone market is huge – if you look at this article, it becomes apparent why so many companies try their luck. And I am not only talking about camera drones. It’s growing fast, and so is the need for regulation. This article here gives a good overview of industry trends in the drone field (PDF link).
But let’s look at the drone crowd funding campaign du jour – the UP&Go Arial Camera on Indiegogo. It’s already overfunded by now with over three weeks left, which is another good indication about how much hype still surrounds the drone business.
What’s so special about it? It’s quite cheap with a starting price of $299, and it’s really supposed to be for amateurs who want to film their outdoor adventures by having a drone follow them automatically.
It records only 1080p at (up to?) 60fps and 720p at 120fps, and takes 12MP stills. The demo footage looks okay but I expect this to essentially look like an older generation GoPro.
Speaking of which, they officially call this an “Aerial GoPro” and even copy the style of GoPro’s logotype, which is daring to say the least, because I am sure that there is no real association with GoPro.
Seriously? The logo looks like a GoPro rip-off …
So, if you are thinking about pre-ordering the UP&GO camera drone on Indiegogo, be careful – you might get a very cheap drone for more “fun stuff”, but there is always the danger that a crowd funding campaign like this won’t materialise.
Also, as far as I can tell from the campaign page, the drone is not aware of its environments with sensors (unlike, for instance, the DJI Phantom 4), which means that it will crash into trees when it follows you if you’re not careful. Let’s hope that’s something they will add before they ship the product.

Self-proclaimed game changers, Shotover, have released an exciting new promo for their U1 gimbal and rotocopter. The Shotover U1 Launch Reel is produced by skate filmer extraordinaire Ty Evans and highlights the features of what makes up a very exciting heavy-duty system.
U1 Gimbal and Rotocopter
We first saw this promo shortly after it was released, but with the hype of NAB 2016 we’ve held this article back until now.
Shotover are no strangers to making stabilized camera systems. Their K1 and F1 6-axis gyro gimbal systems can regularly be found on the front of helicopters and sporting payloads in excess of 200lbs, makes the U1 and U1g look like lightweight systems.
Make no mistake, however, the Shotover U1 is a sizeable platform and can fly a combined weight of 30kg.
To clarify their line-up, the U1 is the Shotover complete rotocopter system. The U1g is the gimbal only.
I therefore speak for both the U1 and U1g when I say the gimbal is continuously rotatable in all 3 axis, has complete FIZ control (focus, iris, zoom) on compatible cinema lenses as well as remote camera control for RED, Arri, Sony, Canon and Phantom.
The Carbon fibre design of the Shotover makes it lightweight, fuss-free (for continuous rotation on the axis’) and weather resistant (same may not be said for your camera).
You’ll get 9-22 minutes of run time on the 4-armed rotocopter, as well as features like dual HD downstream (for two operators) with customizable graphic overlay, redundant battery system and flight controller and retractable landing gear.
The U1g is quick release detachable, and can be used in a number of configurations (as per promo video) like a cable cam, car cam, white water rafting cam….
There is more flexibility with the payload once on the ground. Here’s a lens/camera compatibility chart for reference.
Other configurations can be determined when comparing similar camera/lens weights and physical dimensions.
For more info on the U1 check out this handy PDF document.
With a price range of around of (I’ll add it when I get it) the Shotover systems will apply to an acute end of the market. However with such a well designed and self-contained system you can see exactly why.

Freefly has announced a new multicopter, the Alta 8 comes arrives with all the neat features of the Alta 6 including Synapse brain, top/bottom loading and 45 degree angle operation, but adds two more arms increasing it’s payload to an impressive 18kg.
So, another Freefly promo video. They makes them nice, don’t they? Any form of filmmaker would probably have the same feelings as me after that video, Want and Need (before realising I’m not a pilot and would likely crash it the minute I’d set my hands on that lovely flashy controller).
Those that are pilots and perhaps looking to upgrade to a larger system will appreciate the Alta 8 in a more practical fashion. The payload gets increased to 18kg (5 more than the Alta 6) giving the multicopter a hefty 11.9 working payload (6.2kg of the 18 taken up by the weight of the aircraft).
Despite the extra 2 arms and increased payload, the Alta 8 out performs its smaller 6-legged brother in reducing down to 50% of it’s ready-to-fly size down to packed away state.
The Alta is 640mm in diameter packed down (littler larger than the Alta 6 at 590mm) but is actually has a smaller wingspan at 1296mm.
Just like the Alta 6, the Alta 8 utilizes Freeflys quick release toad in the hole system to quickly switch between a conventional underslung configuration to SkyView, where the camera sits above the rotors for any up tilted shots.
The great feature of Alta systems (despite not being new) is the Alta App. I have vast experience with the Movi app which is both very quick & easy to use, whilst also complex in the amount of adjustments you can make throughout. Observing the Alta App, you get the same impression and coupled with the Synapse brain you’ve access to a host of graphical and numeric information to ensure your setup is calibrated on point.
The Alta 8 maintains agility with 45 degrees of operation (tilt of copter whilst keeping camera straight), features velocity clamps for control of repeat camera moves and silent drive motors that Freefly bill as being optimized for speed, reliability, and robustness.
The Freefly Alta 8 will start shipping immediately, starting at $17,495.

DJI has just released a new version of the Phantom 3 drone-series with a 4K camera and an integrated Wi-Fi downlink. Also hot-of-the-press, similar to Apple’s iPhone market, per popular demand the DJI Inspire 1 can now also be purchased in a very cool looking black edition.
DJI Phantom 3 4K
It really is tough to keep up with the technology in the drone market. As soon as you have your hands on one, a new one pops out of nowhere. This is, however, a pleasant surprise, as DJI’s newest model in its Phantom 3 flagship series combines the best from previous Phantom models and the most popular features of more advanced models at a highly competitive price. The Phantom 3 4K comes with an integrated, gimbal-stabilized 4K camera, ultrasonic sensors and has remote-control buttons for playback, video recording and camera shutter. In DCI (4096x2160p) the Phantom 3 4K can do 24 and 25 fps, and in UHD (3840x2160p) it can do 24/25/30fps. While this version does shoot 4K, the light-bridge downlink was replaced with a Wi-Fi connection that has a range of about 1.2km with clear line of sight. In terms of price, it fits right between the two existing Phantom 3 versions, DJI Phantom 3 Advanced, which features a 2.7K camera and DJI Phantom 3 Professional, which also has a 4K camera but with Lightbridge downlink.
Here’s a quick overview of the various models and prices:
Phantom 3 Standard ($499) – 3 Axis Gimbal with 2.7K camera and Wi-Fi downlinkPhantom 3 Advanced ($799) – 3-Axis Gimbal with 2.7K camera and Lightbridge downlinkPhantom 3 4K ($799) – 3-axis Gimbal with 4K camera and Wi-Fi downlinkPhantom 3 Professional ($1259) – 3-axis Gimbal with 4K camera and Lightbridge downlink
DJI Inspire 1 – Black Edition
In response to popular demand from the professional filmmaker community, DJI introduced a stylistic change in its Inspire line of drones. The Inspire 1 Pro Black comes with a shell, controller, and battery in matte black. It comes equipped with DJI’s best-in-class Micro Four Thirds camera, the Zenmuse X5. The original Inspire 1 Pro, with a white shell, battery case and controller, will continue to be sold alongside the new model. Unfortunately for some, the Inspire 1 Pro Black Edition will initially only be available to customers in regions except for Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom and Ireland.
Firmware upgrade for the DJI A2 Flight Controller
DJI have also released a new firmware for their A2 Flight controller. You can download the A2 Assistant Software v1.9 from the product page on the official DJI website http://www.dji.com/product/a2/download?www=v1 to update your firmware.
Here are some of the updates, as listed on DJI’s website：
Firmware
Improved compatibility with the DJI GO app (Lightbridge 2 required):
(1) OSD flight data in the Camera View including control mode, battery voltage and battery warnings.
(2) Dynamic Home Point feature.
(3) In-app enabling of the Home Lock and Course Lock features.
Added PMU connection status detection:
(1) If detected before takeoff, motors will not start and takeoff is prevented. The LED module will flash red four times and repeat. To resume normal flight, ensure that the PMU is connected correctly.
(2) If detected during flight, the LED module will flash red four times and repeat. Land the aircraft and re-connect the PMU to resume battery voltage readings and low voltage protection.

This is a guest post by Thomas Foster who runs the website bestquadwithcamera.com – NL
Recently the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration in USA) has announced that all drones and quadcopters which weigh more than 0.55 pounds (250grams) must be registered. The registration can be done on internet through a web form. This move was expected. They were trying to enforce drone registration and education for years. The reason for that is that there are a lot safety and privacy concerns from the FAA.
Safety concerns
There are more safety concerns. One is that drone airspace would interfere with the airspace of other aircrafts. Because of that, the FAA declared that drones are forbidden in the area 5 miles around airports and national parks. Besides that they also excluded them from certain areas for which they considered that flying drones there can pose a threat to security. All zones where you can or cannot fly are marked here. Furthermore, you are forbidden to fly a drone above the height of 400 feet and without the sight of operator. Other safety concerns are that you can attach literally everything on the drone. People were attaching guns and flamethrowers there. With registration it is easier to recognize the infringements.
Privacy concerns
Privacy concerns go mainly to smaller lawsuits of people who found themselves on internet and who did not like being recorded by drones. There are also some commercial videos which had been shooting at restricted territory. And finally, some newspapers use drones that make photos and videos of celebrities.
All those concerns led to the change of rules.
Penalties
Everybody who owns a drone which has more than 0.55 pounds must register it. That means that even if you have owned a drone for a long time, you must still register it. The penalties can go up to $27,500 in civil fines and up to $250,000 and three years in prison for criminal penalties. Although those penalties are harsh, FAA said that it is trying to avoid punishing and just trying to make people register the drones.
Filming – what can you do?
At the moment, aerial filming and usage of drones and quadcopters with camera are both completely legal. All you need to do is to have your drone registered. Drones with camera in general weigh more than 0.55 pounds. The things that you need to take into account are fairly standard;
No flying above 400 feet
Fly away from pedestrians and from the people that might feel irritated by your drone
Keep the aircraft in sight
Do not fly on restricted zones
Stay clear in the air and do not interfere with another aircraft’s operations
Make sure you fly safely
In case you want to use your videos or pictures commercially, you need to get a permit from the owners of the property for usage. If you do not use it commercially, you can share it (via youtube and other platforms for example) freely. This is currently allowed, but the drone legislation is changing, so it might not always stay like that. So for that, it is best to keep yourself updated with the news.
Other countries around the world
The important question that arises is, how is with other countries in the world? As USA is enforcing new rules, this will eventually become a new guideline for most law enforcers around the world. Some countries already have their own legislation which is different from the one in USA. It is best to check their own legislation when you plan to make a shooting in the country of your choosing. Below I will briefly describe the legislation of some of the countries.
European Union
European Union made some attempts to make a common legislation among all of its members. Unfortunately it did not work out (yet). So therefore every country has different legislation. It is best to research legislation for specific country. Below, the United Kingdom, Germany and France are described.
United Kingdom
The regulations in UK are the following (it holds for all aircrafts with weight below 100 kg).:
You must not endanger anyone while flying.
Keep the aircraft in sight – you can only fly on the distance less than 500 meters from your piloting place.
Smaller aircrafts used for surveillance purposes are subject to tighter restrictions to the above rule – they must fly closer. Also you need permission for them.
If you do aerial work and getting paid for it, you need the permission of CAA (Civil Aviation Authority).
You have a responsibility to conduct the flight safely.
You may not fly closer than 50 meters near vehicles, boats, buildings that are not your property unless you have the permission of the owner.
You are not allowed to fly over large groups of people.
Germany
If your drone weigh does not exceed 5 kilograms and you do not use it for commercial purposes, you do not need to register it. In other case you have to register it. You also need to follow those rules:
Maximum altitude above ground is 100m
Operation is forbidden in crowd, misfortune locations, disaster areas and some other locations. This also applies for the flying above industrial plants, factories, and military installations.
Within built-up areas (cities), the competent regulatory authorities / police departments must be informed in advance.
Within protected areas the local regulations must be observed.
France
You need to register a drone there. Furthermore,
Flight must not exceeding the height of 150 meters high.
It is forbidden to fly over people or animals
You must not fly 50 meters or closer to the roads
It is forbidden to fly in restricted areas (near airports, etc.)
It is forbidden to fly at night
It is forbidden to fly in places where you pose danger to others.
You need a permission of the property owner if you will make a commercial video on someone else’s property
Australia
The regulations in Australia are the following (it holds for all aircrafts with weight below 20 kg).:
You must not endanger anyone while flying.
You are not allowed to fly above 400 feet (120 meters).
You are not allowed to fly closer than 10 meters from another person.
You are not allowed to fly over large groups of people
You are not allowed to fly in bad weather or at night.
There are restricted areas – similar as in USA.
You may not fly closer than 30m near vehicles, boats, buildings that are not your property unless you have the permission of the owner.
You have a responsibility to conduct the flight safely.
As you can see in most countries the rules are quite similar. There is also a gray area in many countries with filming property from distance. Also make sure that if you post something to internet and someone asks you to remove it, you should do it. Your chances of winning such battles on court are not clear. So it is better to be careful.
Tips for safe and law-friendly shooting
Shooting a video or photographs with a drone is still a great thing to get good and artistic videos and photos. The new drone legislation does not really change that. A good guide was already written about that here. But in order to also abide the laws in any country, it is highly recommended to use the common sense when filming different things. Do not film things where people might feel irritated. Also it is good to check the latest changes in rules. That is because the industry is growing rapidly and rules are changing fast because of that. That industry is getting regulated very fast. However that does not mean that aerial filming will lose popularity. Many video makers and photographers are now using it and it is also becoming increasingly popular in cinematography as well. This might actually be the future of filming.
This was a guest post by Thomas Foster who runs the website bestquadwithcamera.com. — NL

GoPro CEO Nick Woodman just went on stage at TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco to tease a few interesting things the company is developing behind closed doors. Asked about drones, he said “A drone opens up a world that we’ve never seen before, like from an angel perspective. That truly is the invisible camera.” More precisely, he also added, “Development is on track for the first half of 2016. We have some differentiations that are right in the GoPro alley.”
This sounds like we can expect exciting drone news from the maker of the world’s best-selling camera next year, possibly at NAB 2016 time? This will put them squarely into DJI territory with their Phantom 3 and Inspire 1 drones, which also feature a camera similar to GoPro in quality in their standard specifications.
Watch the full interview session here:
He also added that Hero4 Session sales are slower than they were expecting, but said that compared to anything that their competitors are doing, the camera is still doing remarkably well.
Another new GoPro focus will be the software side of things – particularly a cloud based solution that they have been developing for a while now. They want to enable users to share their captured videos more instantly, with the “GoPro servers” that “will let you make 60-second or 2-minute videos without any effort on your part.”
That of course doesn’t sound like professional filmmaking, but that’s also not what GoPro are after, and that’s not where they make their real money.
via TechCrunch

Multicopters, commonly called “drones”, have changed filmmaking more than anything else over the past few years. With these tools becoming more accessible, aerial cinematography comes into reach of many filmmakers even for smaller productions with cheaper solutions.
However not everyone is only heading for the low end, high end multicopters are boasting more and more impressive new features. In comes the Freefly ALTA, which we already reported about in a news video post from NAB 2015 (click here), when we interviewed CEO Tabb Firchau.
It’s tightly integrated with Freefly MōVI systems (which I personally use on many of my productions, both the M10 and M5). MōVIs can be attached to the ALTA very easily and quickly – if it works like they show in their video, it looks like you literally can go from handheld MōVI to aerial ALTA shots in a matter of minutes:
The ALTA also features a top mount camera option, which is really something unseen on other drones so far … the camera is mounted ABOVE the copters, which allows you to get tilt-up shots for the first time ever … which opens a whole new world of creative opportunities for “drone flyers”.
To make a long story short, I came across some new work that was shot on the Freefly ALTA which sincerely impressed me in terms of its creativity. Particularly this little short, “Nostalgia” by Tim Sessler, which was shot on a RED Epic Monochrome, in black and white. The infrared view on nature, combined with poetic movement and narration, is something I haven’t seen before. It features one amazing tilt-up shot with the ALTA. Also, the precision with which that drone seems to be controlled is remarkable:
And last but not least, here’s another video by Camp 4 Collective which features a bunch of bikers filmed with the ALTA in some impressive landscape and light:
More information about the Freefly ALTA can be found here.

It’s 2015 and it seems like you can’t play with the cool kids anymore if you haven’t built your own camera drone or gimbal and started your own Kickstarter project.
Here we go, in come two new multicopter projects looking for crowd funding. The first of them is the Aexo, which encapsulates the rotors in something that looks like a pizza box, protecting it against crashing within an instant when touching anything like a tree, rock, or … human. The other one is called Sprite and looks like a flying … tube. Or something. It’s a completely different concept which is kind of refreshing, but let’s try and take a closer look at both ideas.
Aexo tries to solve a real problem when flying drones – you actually need to have flying skills before you start, otherwise it can get messy. Rotors are sharp and move fast, so you want to stay away from them. Also, when they touch anything, they will most likely crash and destroy the drone. Aexo seems like it’s doing a good job at protecting itself against things and staying air bound, however their claim that it’s safer to fly close to humans with that thing is a dangerous, if not idiotic statement. I doubt that the Aexo would cause less pain if it crashes into your head. The guys from Aexo offer various versions of the concept, even the bare protector kit itself, in which you can your DJI Phantom (1-3) drone. They also offer models which include the drone, different models for different payloads. Aexo is on track of reaching its modest crowdfunding goal soon on Kickstarter.
Sprite is a totally different concept but also claims that ruggedness and portability is one of its biggest features. It looks like a flying you-know-what and has two rotors. It is definitely portable as you can put it into your backpack and off you go. It also looks quite rigid. However, judging from the very brief glimpses of footage that we get from their Kickstarter promo video, the footage unfortunately doesn’t look particularly stable … unsurprising considering that it has only one primary rotor (with a smaller stabilizing motor below), it’s definitely more affected by wind than other solutions. Sprite comes with its camera built-in and is about to reach its much higher funding goal on Kickstarter very soon.